LeBron James created history at the start of this month when he broke a 39-year-old record. After nearly four decades on top, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was dethroned by a future Laker great.KAJ played for 20 years in the NBA, the same length as LeBron James has played at this point.
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But the difference between their two careers is that Jabbar was stuttering towards the end of his time in the NBA, while LeBron hasn’t missed a beat. He sure may have missed a lot of games, but whenever he plays, it’s like he’s only 30.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar spoke highly of LeBron in his letter to him, but also thought that his time could have been better had he been provided with the same facilities as today. The modern-day NBA player gets treated like royalty, with customized diet plans, workouts, special recovery regimes, and most of all, chartered flights.
Things in the 70s and 80s were so much different, with the players having to travel by coach. Can you imagine seven-footers traveling in chairs that don’t have enough legroom for average-sized folk? That’s almost torture.
Kareem says he could’ve played in the NBA “a couple more years,” if he had today’s player privileges…
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar seemed a little jealous of his record being broken – Here’s what he had to say
“I didn’t even get to ride in (charter) airplanes; you know, we had to get up at six and five o’clock and take a commercial flight.” Man, you know, these guys don’t know how well they’re treated, you know? “It’s a big difference now.“
It sounds like someone is jealous! What he says is completely true, and future generations will probably hear LeBron ramble about the same things. That is life, and advancements in technology are such.
He also added, “I think that was the toughest thing to deal with, you know, just the grind of the schedule and having to get those early morning flights.” True again, because the players now travel way before the game and get their beauty sleep on the flight.
Also Read: “I’m the modern-day Reggie Miller”: Klay Thompson Reveals the Two Shooting Guards Who Inspired Him
LeBron James spends a million a year on just his physical recovery – no yesteryear player had such liberty
Can you imagine some of the greats of the game if they had the facilities of today? Michael Jordan would not have been as tired, and Wilt Chamberlain would have scored 50,000 points. Kareem could last 25 years in the league because you no longer have to play four years of college.
He could have started his career way earlier and taken care of his body the same way every athlete does now. With that kind of arsenal and their skill sets for that era, they could be unstoppable.
With sports science exploding onto the scene in the late 80s and early 90s, Kareem had missed the boat by two decades. By then, his career was already on a downward spiral, with his last season grinding to a halt. He only scored 10 points per game, a record that pales in comparison to what Bron is doing right now.
Future players could look back at Bron’s record and have the same debate as the Laker great. With the league teasing a 4-point line and fewer games per season, they could easily stretch beyond the current average. The days of 20 years in the league being looked upon as average could be nearer than we think.
